Locking-binder for books.



F. B. HOUSH.

LOOKING BINDER FOR. BOOKS.

APPLICATION FILED .TAN.26, 1914.

Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

FRANK E. HOUSE, OF WINTI-IROP, MASSACHUSETTS.

LOCKING-BINDER FOR BOOKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 26, 1914. Serial No. 814,352.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK E. HOUSE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Winthrop, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Locking-Binders for Books, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in looking binders for books.

Under modern systems of keeping records, in which loose leaf books are employed, it is desirable to have some convenient and effective means by which the removal of leaves by unauthorized persons can be prevented. This is specially important, sometimes, for preventing the substitution of one leaf for another. It is also sometimes desired, both with such books, and with books that are permanently bound, to be able to lock the book closed, so that no one but an authorized person can see the contents. Various devices have been proposed for this purpose, and all are subject to various objections, either on account of the space required, or because they are not secure, owing to the simplicity of the method of unlocking, or because they are cumber-' some, or for other reasons. It is the purpose of the present invention to provide a book lock in which all of these objections are eliminated, and in which certain positive advantages are gained, such as the ability of the lock to grow or shrink with the size of the book, as leaves are added or removed.

These objects are attained by providing a hole through the pack of sheets which constitute the book, near the margin, and by inserting from opposite sides of the pack stifi? U-shaped pieces or straps, preferably metallic, which overlap each other within the book and whose external portions are locked together. Specifically the external portions may overlap each other and be provided with holes that register together, through which a bolt may pass. In the less expensive embodiments of the invention, the lock may be a padlock; and so the very wide range of locks and variety of keys that characterize locks of this type are rendered available. The lock may be wholly within the cover of the book, and so not exposed to View when it is applied to the back of the book, or it may be exposed to view, as when applied to the front of the book. If applied to the back, the padlock may rest normally in a recess formed in the back edge of the pack of leaves. though more expensive embodiment of the invention, the lock may fill the entire recess in the back of the book. This allows more room for the lock, greater strength, and a still wider range of keys.

The invention may be applied in various ways, and with many modifications, the two embodiments above mentioned being here shown as illustrating the principle and the Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

In a somewhat better,

means of applying it; so that the patent is r not to be taken as limited to the specific embodiments of the invention here illustrated, but may be embodied in forms that differ in various respects Within the scope of the appended claims, it being the purpose of the patent to cover, in the appended claims, whatever features of patentable novelty exist in the invention disclosed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective of a book and lock embodying the invention, showing a lock applied in tWo places; Fig. 2 is a detail, in perspective, partly in section; Fig. 3 is a detail showing the same lock as in Fig. 2, holding the same book after it has been made thicker by the addition of leaves; Fig. 4: shows a modified form of the invention; and Fig. 5 shows a style of keeper that may be used.

Referring to the drawings, 10 represents the pack of sheets of paper, cardboard, or

other material which constitute the leaves of a loose leaf book. It is customary in loose leaf books that one or both flaps of the cover and the back of the cover be easily removable from the pack, in order that sheets may be removed or added; and the invention is illustrated as it may be applied to such a book. The binding may be of any ordinary or suitable type, and accordingly the drawing shows a binding of one of the simplest types, where the leaves are penetrated by round holes through which tubes 11 and posts 12 pass, the tubes being screw threaded internally at their upper ends, and the posts being, screw threaded throughout their length, so that they can be inserted to any depth, thus holding and clamping the stubs of the sheets together. This device which binds the leaves together passes also through the cover of the book and so constitutes the binding of the book, but the pack may if preferred be otherwise secured in position within the cover.

About in the middle of the stub "orback margin, the pack is .piercedby aiholed13, which in the case illustrated is long and narrow, extending up and down the sheet parallel to the back, at a short distance from lthetbackedgeof the pack. Preferablythe hole 13 is at about thesame distancefrom the back edge as are the holes through which b d nsrQ t 11, 2 ra sv at t, whe aleafisturned,its stub end will be held on a substantially straightglineby the lock and y the bindingposts. A recess l i is formed .in the; back edge ofthepack deepenough'to contain the lock. Stiff .metallic straps 15 are provided, having substantially ,a ,U- shape the bowl of the U being preferably rectangular with QreSpect to the sides. As I represented in Figs. 2and 3,these consist of threeiportionaa, b, c, in which the portion ,a is, adapted to be I inserted ,the' hole the portion 5 to'li-e fiat on the topof the uppermost sheet of the pack wheaportion'a :has been inserted to-itslimit, and the portion cto lieonthe outside, parallel-to and flat againstthe edge ofthe pack within the recess 14, but having a tab 03 formed integrally therewith and bent so that it stands out at right angles to theedge of the pack, though preferably Zwholly within the recess. Two of thesez pieces .15Iare provided, identically alike, onebeingadaptedto be inserted in the hole 13 from each side of the pack. vWhen so inserted, the portions a of each willcvoverlapeach otherwithin the hole 13;

portionsc will overlapeach other on the exterior; and the portions cl likewise overlap ping each other will come opposite each other .sothat the bolt or hook of a padlock 17 may .be inserted through a;hole"1-6 inone strap and through a hole 16 in the other strap. -While these-straps may-be made in different .ways, -the drawings illustrate in 'F s l, 2,;a 1 m t -Wh ha spe ia advantages in that the entire construction .is

simple, inexpensive, and strong, and may be either a simple binder or arlockedbinder. {Ihe strap being flat, .a portion d occupying .about half of its width, extending for any desired length of the portion 0 is bent outward so that itconstitutes an out-turned lug through which one ormore'holes 16 may .be provided. When a padlockispassedthrough a hole 16 in one strap, anda hole 16 in the other strap, these twostraps cannot be separated far enough .to cease to overlap; and consequently no .leaf or sheet can escape. The binder lock may be so designed as to operate between rather wide limits; and a book, made of a packofsheetsof a certain thickness as represented in Fig. 2, may be enlarged-by addition of leavesto a-considerably,. greater thickness, as indicated in .to diflerent distancesapart. To accommodate a greater enlargement, other straps havinglonger portions a and 0 may be substituted at small expense.

When the back of the cover of-the book .fits closeto. the back of the pack of sheets,

it is desirable to provide space for the padlock by making a recess 14 in-the back of the pack. Thisrecess may be as largein area,

and may becut as :deeply into the pack, as the size andshape offla suitable padlock will require, -without materially affecting the strength, area of page, flexibility, size, or

other qualities of the book. When thus applied, the book is locked against-theremoval .of.sheets, but. the lock it not noticeable,and

the book may beopened and used as freely .zas ifthelock'werenot there. When applied toother edgesof the pack, for example to the front edge, the lock will prevent the .opening of the book. In such case,'no recessis neededforreceiving the padlock, and r a fastening may be accomplished by providing asimple hole in-the margin ofthe sheet. Such-a hole, while always visible when the book .is open, is not such as to interfere in any way with the use ofthe page, being so close to the edge; while the visibility of the look when the book is closed does no harm.

It is not necessary that the outside portions of the strap should overlap each other,

but any means fastening them together so asto prevent separation is sufficient and so,

for example, another method of holding them together is illustrated in Fig. 4:. As there represented, the entire recess 14: is neatly jfilledby the casing ofa lock 17 from. which astrap .15 passes under the book and sp intothe hole 13, this strapbeing integral or otherwise firmly attached to, the J dy portion of the lock 17 The other strap- 15 voverlaps thestrap 15 within the hole'1-3,and exteriorlythereof iscapable of insertion intouthe lock .17, as illustrated,

whereit is engagedandheldbv the internal mechanism ofthe lock, which may be of any suitable kind. This contrivance, utilizing theentire-spaceof the recess 14, both permits the use of a veryrstrong construction of lock, and facilitates the use of a lock wwith several tumblers which may be controlled by .afiat orcorrugated key, as indicated by the key-hole '17 With some types of books, the recess 14 ,may be omittedeven when the binder lock is .placed-ontheback. In such a case, the lock ,willprojectsomewhat fromthe back edge of ethe pack, but if the back of the cover be large and loose-enoughthere may be no-obi Qn t th s; a rii t e e no cover, or

side covers without a back, bound together with the pack or sheets, as may be done in some grades of books used for commercial purposes, the lock may be allowed to project. It should be noted, however, that the recess 14 can ordinarily be made with no extra cost whatever, being cut at the same time and by the same operation that cuts holes for the binding; also that it avails itself of space that would not otherwise be utilized; and further that it can be made shallower, or with different shaped outer corners than the form illustrated. These facts, together with the flatness with which the portions Z) of the straps lie against the sides of the pack of sheets, make the use of a recess desirable even for books which have no back cover.

It is further to be observed that the locking means is in itself a binder, in the sense that it holds the leaves of the pack together, as well as a lock, in the sense that it prevents an unauthorized person from removing them; and so in some cases it may be preferred to omit the binding means typified by the numerals 11, 12, and to substitute two or more sets of the binder straps of the inven tion; and, while in the most complete form of the invention a lock is used as above described to secure these two straps together externally, some other means that does not rise to the dignity of an actual look, as for example a split ring 17 as illustrated in Fig. 5, may be employed to secure the straps together. This provides a binding means that is equally as secure as ordinary binding means typified by the numbers 11, 12, and with which an actual lock may be used at pleasure.

I claim as my invention:

1. A combined book and lock therefor, comprising the combination of a book having a cover removable so as to expose the back edges of the leaves of the book, said leaves being formed with a recess in their back edges adapted to receive a lock, and with a hole adjacent to the recess, penetrating the leaves transversely; with binder straps adapted to be inserted in said hole from opposite directions, and to overlap each other within the book; and said lock, fastening together the said straps externally.

2. A book lock comprising two fiat sheet metal straps substantially similar in form, and adapted to penetrate the pack of leaves transversely near its edge from opposite sides, and to overlap each other within the book; and lugs integral with said straps, outside the pack and turned outward therefrom, provided with holes; combined with a lock adapted to engage said lugs through said holes, thereby holding the straps in their overlapping relation within the pack.

3. A book comprising sheets and binding means from which the sheets are removable, arranged in a substantially straight line at the back edge of the pack of sheets, combined with straps penetrating the sheets transversely at a position in substantially the same line, and overlapping each other within the pack; and means for locking the external portion of said straps together on the back edge of the pack of sheets within the cover of the book. v

4. The combination of a pack of sheets having a recess formed in its edge and a hole adjacent to the edge, both recess and hole extending transversely of the pack, with two binder straps adapted to be inserted from opposite directions into the hole to overlap each other therein, and into the recess to be fastened to each other therein.

5. The combination of a pack of sheets having a hole adjacent to the edge, extending transversely of the pack, with two binder straps adapted to be inserted from opposite directions into the hole, to overlap each other therein, and adapted to overlap and be fastened to each other externally, there being on said external overlapping portions means for fastening at a multiplicity of different distances of overlapping, whereby the binding is extensible.

Signed by me at Boston, Mass, this twenty-second day of January, 1914.

FRANK E. HOUSH. l/Vitnesses:

EVERETT E. KENT, JOSEPH T. BRENNAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

